224 



EARTH, THE. 



EASTERN QUESTION, THE. 



IV. RAILROADS OF THE WOELD.* The fol- 

 lowing table shows the aggregate length of rail- 

 roads in the several large divisions of the earth 

 in the years 1875, 1877, and 1879, the length 

 being expressed in kilometres (1 kilometre = 

 0-62 English mile). 



in all the important countries from which re- 

 ports have been received : 



V. POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH STATISTICS. 

 The following table shows how many millions 

 of letters were mailed in the principal countries 

 during the last year of which the statistics could 

 be obtained : 



The "World's Postal Union" was established 

 by an international postal treaty concluded at 

 Berne, October 9, 1874, and enlarged by the 

 Paris Treaty of June 1, 1878. It embraces at 

 present a territory of 73,000,000 square kilo- 

 metres (1 square ldlometre=0'386 square mile), 

 with a population of 755,000,000. The follow- 

 ing countries belong to the Union : 



In Europe : All the countries. 



In Asia: Asiatic Russia, Asiatic Turkey, 

 Persia, British India, Japan, the British, French, 

 Dutch, Spanish, and Portuguese colonies, and 

 the Britisn post-offices in China. 



In Africa: Egypt, Algeria, Tripoli, Tunis, 

 Liberia, Zanzibar, the French, Portuguese, and 

 Spanish colonies, and a part of the British. 



In America: The Argentine Republic, Bra- 

 zil, Canada and Newfoundland, Chili, the Unit- 

 ed States of America, Greenland, Honduras, 

 Mexico, Peru, Salvador, Venezuela, Ecuador, 

 Uruguay, San Domingo, the Danish, French, 

 Dutch, and Spanish colonies, and a part of the 

 British. 



In Australia and Polynesia: The French, 

 Dutch, and Spanish colonies. 



The rapid progress of the electric telegraph 

 all over the world is illustrated by the follow- 

 ing table giving the aggregate length of lines 



* For detailed statistics of the railroads of each country, 

 and of the increase since 1830, see "Annual Cyclopedia" for 

 1378, p. 251. 



EASTERN QUESTION, THE.* Most of the 

 provisions of the Treaty of Berlin were suc- 

 cessfully carried out in the course of the year 

 1879. The organization of Bulgaria as a semi- 

 independent principality was completed. East 

 Roumelia, though not as independent, likewise 

 began its autonomous existence, with so strong 

 a predominance of Bulgarian influence as to 

 make the future reunion of the province with 

 Bulgaria highly probable. Austria added the 

 occupation of Novi Bazar to that of Bosnia 

 and Herzegovina, which had been effected in 

 1878. Russia evacuated in August, as had 

 been stipulated, Bulgaria and East Roumelia. 

 Previously a special treaty between Russia and 

 Turkey had made provision for the indemnity 

 to be paid by Turkey to Russia. The British 

 Government instructed Sir Henry Layard to 

 make an energetic representation to the Porte 

 on the subject of the reforms promised in 

 the Anglo-Turkish Convention, and, when a 

 British fleet was ordered into Turkish waters, 

 the Turkish Government deemed it necessary 

 to appoint Baker Pasha to a mission of inquiry 

 in Asia. Two important provisions of the 

 Berlin Treaty remained, however, unexecuted 

 at the close of 1879. Neither Greece nor 

 Montenegro had at that time obtained the ter- 

 ritorial concessions which were promised at 

 Berlin. The accession of a Liberal Govern- 

 ment to office in England seemed to deprive 

 Turkey of its only protector ampng the great 

 powers of Europe, and to hasten the reorgani- 

 zation of the Balkan Peninsula. Lord Gran- 

 ville's appointment to the Foreign Office was, 

 however, generally accepted as a pledge that 

 the Liberal Government would be cautions and 

 moderate. Mr. Goschen's mission to Constan- 

 tinople, preceded by a visit to the capitals of 

 some of the great powers, was the first step 

 toward the formation of a European concert 



* Continuing the article in "Annual Cyclopaedia" for 

 1878, p. 252. 





